Spanier made $3.3M last year

Associated Press

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STATE COLLEGE – The former Penn State president accused of covering up reports of sexual molestation by retired assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky earned $2.5 million in severance last year, the school said Wednesday.

Graham Spanier’s total taxable income was $3.3 million in 2011, the university said. That included $700,000 in salary, $83,000 in taxable benefits and the severance money, which will be paid by 2017, the school said.

Spanier was forced out of the job after Sandusky was arrested on child molestation charges.

He said he was not aware the school had made his earnings public, and declined to comment. He remains a tenured faculty member but is on leave.

Spanier was charged four weeks ago with engaging in an alleged cover-up of abuse committed by Sandusky. Spanier and co-defendants Gary Schultz and Tim Curley are asking to postpone their Dec. 13 preliminary hearing.

Their recent court filings have focused on the role played by former university chief counsel Cynthia Baldwin, and all three defendants have argued their charges should be thrown out.

Sandusky is serving a 30- to 60-year sentence for abusing 10 boys. He maintains he is innocent and is pursuing appeals.

Spanier, Curley and Schultz are accused of endangering the welfare of children, obstruction, conspiracy, failure to report suspected child abuse and perjury.

Curley is on leave to serve out the final year of his contract as athletic director, and Schultz, is retired as vice president for business and finance.